My moments…some are teachable, some are merely moments

Month: October 2017

GETTING THERE

I took an overnight bus from Lisbon to Sevilla. The Alsa bus was super clean and comfortable. Plus, I saved on a night of accommodations and maximized my time since it was about a 7-hour ride.

WHERE TO LAY YOUR HEAD ON A PILLOW

I stayed at Hostel One Catedral. Personally, I would not choose to stay here again. Between Ostello Bello Lake Como and We Love F****** Tourists in Lisbon, my standards were pretty high. Unfortunately, Hostel One Catedral did not live up to those standards. The showers were extra small, which for European standards says a lot. I think what really sealed the deal for me was that the staff didn’t seem extremely friendly. Coming from other hostels where the staff went out of their way to make you feel welcomed and learned your name, this particular hostel felt cold. Luckily, I met some cool people at the hostel, which was the saving grace.

GETTING AROUND SEVILLE

Similar to other spots in Europe, Seville is a walkable city. So throw on some comfortable shoes and get to stepping.

WHERE TO EAT

One word — Eslava. Trust me when I say, you will not be disappointed by this award-winning restaurant. I went with someone I met at the hostel and we wanted to try everything on the menu; I think we came pretty close. As I look at the pictures, I want to go back.

THINGS TO DO

By now you know I’m all about a free walking tour. So in Seville, I did just that. The Plaza de España was the highlight of the tour. While in Seville, I also caught a flamenco show at La Carboneria. Unlike most of the other flamenco shows in the area, this one was free. So sit back, sip on some sangria, and prepare to be entertained. Other than that, I spent large chunks of my day on a rooftop with a good book. I’ve been going, going, going for about a month now, so partaking in some downtime provides a nice break from constant exploration.

Like this:

GETTING THERE

Getting from Porto to Lisbon was a lot less dramatic than my previous journey. I listened to a few chapters of an audio book on the train ride. Sidenote, long trips are the perfect time to sign up for free trials of music streaming services, audio books, etc. I like to stagger the trials so that when one runs out, I can move on to the next.

WHERE TO LAY YOUR HEAD ON A PILLOW

I stayed at We Love F****** Tourists. To date, this was my favorite hostel! It felt like Cheers, where everybody knows your name. The facilities are nice and the staff really goes out of the way to make guests feel welcomed. Special shout out to Dale and Tiago, who were great hosts! The hostel offers a day trip to Sintra, pub-crawls, dinner, and free breakfast. The only downside was the amount of stairs you have to climb to get to the hostel. Good for your heart rate, not so good after a pub-crawl. If you’re in Portugal, I’d highly recommend checking out We Love F****** Tourists!

GETTING AROUND LISBON

Similar to Porto, you can Uber everywhere in Lisbon. It’s also a very walkable city, which is a great way to take in the city!

WHERE TO EAT

When in Lisbon, you have to visit Time Out Market. Traditional Portugese dishes, burgers, pasta, sweets, wine — it’s one-stop shopping. The restaurants and bars were hand-picked by editors at Time Out.

Be sure to check out Pastéis de Belém for a Pastel de Nata. I only had one and immediately regretted not ordering another. The line was pretty long, so try your luck finding a table.

THINGS TO DO

Lisbon was by far my favorite city in Europe! Good weather, great people, an awesome vibe — I just love Lisbon! See the sites: Torre de Belém, Castelo de São Jorge, the view from the top of Senhora do Monte, and many more. For a fun night out, make your way to Bairro Alto. My favorite spot in the area was Park, a rooftop bar situated on top of a parking garage. Need a day of relaxation after a late night? Head to Cascais for a beach day. Or, you can visit LX Factory where you will find anything from surfboards to a quaint bookstore. Whatever you decide to do in Lisbon, you won’t be disappointed!